Insulin treated

Drivers are sent a detailed letter of explanation about their licence and driving by the DVLA.

Group 1 entitlement ODL – car, motorcycle

Must satisfy the following criteria:

Must have adequate awareness of hypoglycaemia

Must not have had more than one episode of hypoglycaemia requiring the assistance of another person in the preceding twelve months

There should be appropriate blood glucose monitoring. This has been defined by the Secretary of State’s Honorary Medical Advisory Panel on Driving and Diabetes as no more than 2 hours before the start of the first journey and every two hours while driving

Must not be regarded as a likely source of danger to the public while driving

The visual standards for acuity and visual field must be met

Impaired awareness of hypoglycaemia has been defined by the Secretary of State’s Honorary Medical Advisory Panel on Driving and Diabetes as, ‘an inability to detect the onset of hypoglycaemia because of a total absence of warning symptoms’. If meets the medical standard a one, two or three-year licence will be issued.

Group 2 entitlement vocational – lorries, buses

May apply for any Group 2 licence. Must satisfy the following criteria:

No episode of hypoglycaemia requiring the assistance of another person has occurred in the preceding 12 months

Has full awareness of hypoglycaemia

Regularly monitors blood glucose at least twice daily and at times relevant to driving, (no more than two hours before the start of the first journey and every two hours while driving), using a glucose meter with a memory function to measure and record blood glucose levels. At the annual examination by an independent consultant diabetologist, three months of blood glucose readings must be available

Must demonstrate an understanding of the risks of hypoglycaemia

There are no other debarring complications of diabetes such as a visual field defect.